The St. St. Patrick’s Tower is located in Dublin city center. Easy to identify, this is a former windmill, built to supply ingredients to the Roe’s whiskey distillery on Thomas Street. Its origins date back to 1757, but the building was rebuilt in 1815. Although inactive today, it is an emblem of Dublin’s historic whiskey production.
St Patrick’s Tower is a Dublin landmark. Located in the Liberties district, the headquarters of the Guinness brewery and distilleries, the site supplied the Roe & Co Irish Whiskey Distillery until 1860, when it was abandoned in favor of steam power.
St Patrick’s Tower owes its official name to St Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland. A statue of him sits atop the tower, above an imposing light-green copper dome.
The mill was once used to grind the ingredients used in the production of Roe distillery whiskey. In those days, George Roe ran the distillery, which probably produced the highest output in the world!
The advent of Prohibition in America, combined with other global factors, eventually wiped out much of Roe’s business. In the mid-1920s, the distillery ceased production and the company was dissolved in the 1940s…
Fortunately, the distillery is now back in operation (and open to the public!). We warmly recommend a visit – it’s both fascinating and instructive).
St Patrick’s Tower is still standing, albeit unused. It is one of the city’s historic monuments, and remains one of Dublin’s symbols of heritage and history. It’s a place that evokes centuries of Irish whiskey-making expertise.
Unfortunately, the tower is not currently open to visitors. It also belongs to the Digital Hub, a group of technology, digital media and Internet companies.
But don’t be disappointed. You can contemplate it for as long as you like by taking a stroll down Thomas Street… or, better still, by having a pint at the top of the Guinness Storehouse, in the Gravity Bar, on a panoramic terrace overlooking the tower! You can usually enjoy a free pint after visiting the Guinness Storehouse. Don’t miss the experience: it’s simply magical!